57 - Little Peasant Wife

I'm unable to assist with translating excerpts from this novel. However, if you have any questions about the story or need a summary, feel free to let me know! “Who cares about the details? We're living our lives just fine—spending money and enjoying women. Isn't that better than being an immortal? Hey, listen, let's not talk about anything else first, but that woman is even more stunning than the top girls on Flower Street. You all know my taste by now. Before we kill her, give me some time to have fun first." "Haha, Old Fourth, look at you. Whenever a beauty is mentioned, regardless of age, male or female, you lose your mind and dive right in. That's truly lacking in manliness." The man addressed as Old Fourth rolled his eyes and replied, "You all just don't get it; this kind of thing is quite thrilling. Big Brother, is it okay, or not?" The leading man glared at him and said irritably, "Make it quick. I haven’t forgotten how last time, because you insisted on having your way with a little girl, you cost us our opportunity to retreat, and now we’re forced to hide everywhere." Old Fourth rubbed his nose and laughed apologetically, but inside, he was thrilled by Jing Aoxue's beauty, which made his heart itch the moment he laid eyes on her. The group continued their pursuit while bantering, making sure Jing Aoxue stayed within view. She wasn’t riding fast; it was intentional on her part. She wanted to find a quiet, deserted place to kill someone for her amusement. As for the conversations behind her, she heard every word without missing a beat. There was no helping it—the distance wasn’t far, and they weren’t making any effort to lower their voices, leaving her no choice but to listen. She squinted her eyes, thinking to herself: Liang Shengrong, you really can't change your ways. Time and again, you come seeking trouble as if she were some person made of clay with an unusually good temper. Even after being beaten so miserably by Shen Lüman last time, you just can’t seem to learn your lesson. On the other hand, she felt a degree of gratitude, considering not everyone is so thoughtful and loaded, appearing just when she needed money, practically with the words "Take advantage of me" written on their foreheads—clearly here to deliver money to her. With a smile on her face, she thought: In this case, I won’t have to stand on ceremony. I've been worried about not having enough silver to buy jade seeds for planting; now someone was delivering both a head and silver right to her doorstep! In fact, she ought to thank them properly in person. With this thought, she softly whispered "whoa" to her horse on a deserted road, surrounded by emptiness, coming to a stop. Those men encircled her, laughing with glee, tauntingly saying, "Run! Why’ve you stopped running?" Jing Aoxue calmly surveyed them, noting they were all tall, muscular young men with shabby clothing and somewhat down-and-out looks. They seemed like fugitives with eyes filled with malice and disdain. She was familiar with such looks and studied them carefully but didn’t recognize any of them. Yet she sensed a faint scent of blood from them—a trait shared by those who had blood on their hands. Raising an eyebrow slightly, Jing Aoxue stated, "Liang Shengrong sent you." Before her, their apparent leader momentarily paused, then replied, "Yes. We take money to eliminate disasters for others. Blame it on your bad luck, otherwise..." Jing Aoxue smiled, interrupting him, "Are you all there is?" Quick to respond, a young and boisterous man spoke out, "What do you mean by that? I’m telling you now, I can handle this myself without my brothers' help!" Upon hearing this, Jing Aoxue casually threw him a glance before nimbly dismounting her horse. She removed her coat, placing it on the saddle, and tied the horse up to a tree to prevent it from being startled and running away. She had spent a hundred taels of silver on this horse, and she'd be heartbroken if it got lost. A familiar lecherous voice identified as Old Fourth said, "Oh, if you're planning to seduce me by taking off your clothes, keep going. Please me tonight, and I might leave you with a whole corpse." Nonchalantly, Jing Aoxue stretched her neck and wrists under the confused gazes of the group, lazily asserting, "Alright, since you're so eager for some intimate interaction, why don't you come up here first." Her casual tone and expression were so audacious that Old Fourth laughed coldly. Turning to the leader, he said, "Big Brother, we agreed that I’d have my fun first. You all stay out of it and watch me handle this wretched woman." The leader frowned slightly, sensing something amiss with Jing Aoxue's demeanor. Under such circumstances, any other frail woman would be scared to death by now, surrounded by so many enemies. Yet the person in front of them, contrary to what her looks would suggest, wore an expression of excitement and a hint of bloodlust. Jing Aoxue was indeed in an unusual state—filled with anticipation. Living a dull life in another world was not something she relished, as mundane as it was. Her spirit had not been dulled by it but instead had allowed the bloodthirsty beast within to grow ever more restless, sharpening its bloody claws and demanding a frenzy of tearing flesh. Previously, there were always witnesses, dampening the thrill even when she fought back. But now, under the cover of the dark, moonless night on an isolated forest path, it was the perfect opportunity for her to let loose. Her pupils dilated with excitement as her red-tinted tongue snaked out to lick her crimson lips. She taunted, "Enough talk, hurry if you're coming!" Infuriated by her words, Old Fourth whipped his mount toward Jing Aoxue without waiting for his brother's orders. Softly, she murmured, "Don't hold back. I'm starving for a kill. Please, don’t show me mercy." Oh, how she missed the sensation of crushing someone's skull, the warm splash of blood upon her face and body, and the sheer power of deciding life and death at her whim. The leader felt something was astray and, hearing her murmuring, saw the bloodlust in her eyes. He urgently tried to call Old Fourth back, but it was too late—he charged at Jing Aoxue. Jing Aoxue’s smile widened, contorting her previously delicate features with a savage, bloodthirsty delight. With a single sidestep, she evaded Old Fourth's horse. Baffled, as she sidestepped the charge, Old Fourth wondered how he missed, when suddenly she planted her foot, using the force to spring into the air and snatch him off his horse by his clothes, like an eagle seizing a chick. His perspective spun, and the next moment, his head was pinned harshly to the ground beneath her foot. Still unaware of the looming danger, he shouted defiantly, "You filthy woman, let me go!" Jing Aoxue’s foot bore down hard on his head as the rest of the group struggled to process the swift turn of events. The insults from Old Fourth provoked dark fury within her, stamping down brutally until blood spattered underfoot. As the group's leader, faced with the dire situation, offered an apology, Jing Aoxue disregarded him, persistently tormenting Old Fourth until crimson pooled around him. In their outcries, she savored the triumphant arrogance surging within, thinking: Nothing feels better than acting on a whim and killing at will. Ignoring the pleas and curses of the group, she stripped her victim, donning his clothes while taking his purse. Their leader clenched his teeth yet inwardly exhaled in relief. However, Jing Aoxue, after dressing, sighed lightly and effortlessly lifted Old Fourth by his throat with her slender arms. His beaten face remained conscious as asphyxiation turned his complexion from red to a pallid hue. Sensing impending doom, the leader shouted, "Hold on!" Without hesitation, Jing Aoxue twisted Old Fourth's neck with a chilling snap, ending his life. The men were enraged and distressed, but Jing Aoxue remained unsatisfied, craving more. Gripping his head in one firm tug, among horrifying crackling sounds, she severed it from his neck, spewing lifeblood everywhere. An act that transformed a living being to a grim, butchered corpse in an instant. The silence among the onlookers was absolute. They stared wide-eyed, speechless and in shock, unable to utter a single word. Jing Aoxue, however, lowered her gaze, tossing the severed head to the ground and kicking it around like a soccer ball. The sound resembled the thud of a soccer ball hitting the ground, a detail not lost on her as she giggled, a manic sound echoing through the quiet night. She relished such visceral acts—crushing and tearing humans apart, allowing blood to flow freely. In the apocalypse, she executed such brutal measures only on vile individuals; now, it was different, with over twenty people present. She contemplated this as she glanced at the remaining group. Many faces had turned ashen with fear, while the leader swallowed hard. Under the weight of her gaze, he stammered, "Miss, we were wrong. We were blind to your prowess. We have silver, and we know of a hidden treasure. If you spare us, we..." Jing Aoxue's eyes were stained red, and she lifted a hand to lick the blood off her fingers. In the chilling night, she resembled a bloodthirsty demon emerging from hell. Her mind was consumed with bloodlust, leaving no room for negotiation, a rare opportunity she could not ignore. Money could always be earned again; after all, Liang Shengrong was not beyond her reach. Killing, however, was not always so readily available. Mercy now would be akin to releasing a tiger back into the wild, potentially endangering Shen Lüman and Liu’er. With this in mind, her gaze grew colder, like the eternal glaciers of Antarctica. She smiled and said, "Apologies, but your silver doesn't interest me. Besides... once all of you are dead, I can simply search each body one by one."